Overuse and vandalism have caused local Forest Service officials to consider banning camping along a mile-long section of the McPhee Reservoir. The section, known as Sage Hen, currently provides free, undeveloped camping for recreationists.

"Through the years, the use out there (Sage Hen) has grown beyond what we feel is good for the land," said Gary Apple, forest technician with the Dolores ranger station.

According to Apple, the number of campsites at Sage Hen has grown from close to 10 to more than 150 since it opened to campers.

In 1998 the district tried to cut down on the number of visitors by designating specific sites. However, Apple said the signs stipulating group and individual vehicle limits were largely ignored by the crowd of campers descending on the area throughout the year.

In addition, vandalism and ATV use in the area have presented problems for local users and other campers who want a certain amount of peace and quiet. Several years ago, vandals ignited the gases under the one outhouse in the area, causing an explosion; the structure cost $6,000 to replace. In addition, Apple said, there have been two shootings in the area in recent years, and continuous vandalism.

"We’re getting a lot of comments from various people that don’t like the camping out there," said Apple.

The Dolores Ranger district will be seeking public comment on restricting the use of Sage Hen before making any final decisions, Apple said. He encouraged any comments to be sent directly to the district.

One option that is not available to the district is developing the campground. The McPhee Reservoir’s environmental impact statement prohibits the Forest Service from developing the area. "We’re kind of between a rock and a hard place," said Apple.

Across the state, dispersed camping has become such a problem that Forest Service officials are considering setting up a new fee structure for dispersed campers on the White River National Forest.

Locally, there is plenty of space available at developed campgrounds. According to Will Morris, spokesman for the Mesa Verde National Park, the park’s 430 campsites never fill completely, even though the park does not allow any backcountry camping. In 1998, the campground accommodated 115,000 campers from mid-April through mid-October.

Morris said Mesa Verde is one of the few national parks that does not allow backcountry camping because of the high concentration of archaeological sites in the park.

Mancos State Park’s 34 campsites were filled to capacity over the Fourth of July, but Roger Skerry, the acting park manager, said that they usually have very few out- of-bounds campers because the park is highly patrolled. It costs campers $14, however, to stay at the park, where restrooms and clean water are the only amenities. They do strictly enforce their 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. quiet hours.